Selasa, 21 Januari 2014

The Facts About Cryogenic Equipment

By Grace Rivas


If you have no idea what the word "cryogenic" means, you are probably in the majority. It is not a term often found in daily conversation. It is seen often in research facilities, food processing plants and in medical labs. Here are some of the details that describe cryogenic equipment, what it means and why it is important today.

The term comes from two terms in the Greek language. "Kryos" refers to very cold or freezing temperatures. "Genes" translates as "generated". The combined term thus describes a material which becomes very cold, even freezing.

Cryogenic exclusively refers to gases having the special ability to turn to liquid under certain conditions. They are gases except when placed in an extremely cold environment and specific pressure conditions. They are kept that way for several reasons.

The most common gases to be used in cryogenics include liquid oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and helium. The common characteristic is the low boiling point. Each of these elements boils at -51C (-60F). Nitrogen is perhaps the most used gas. It is readily available. The substances are only worked with in special environments, including labs and medical research stations.

Research in this field today is available in several areas. There may be a desire to preserve organic substance in the best possible condition. Other research is centered on how organisms react to cold temperatures. Sometimes, cold is used during surgical procedures. There is electronics research being conducted regarding magnet fields and super-conductivity. Liquid gases might be helpful when the study of materials in extreme conditions of temperature is going on. Drastic cold might be appropriate when working with highly flammable materials. Liquid gas might be a fuel source.

The device that is used to hold and store liquid gases in order to safely handle them must be constructed to protect against the cold and to maintain constant pressure during the processes. One of the first pieces of equipment to be utilized was the Dewar Flask. The inventor was James Dewar who was the first scientist to liquefy hydrogen. The inside is glass with a double wall to protect the handler from the extreme cold.

When the liquid gas must be moved or transferred, special pumping devices are required. A pump that operates successfully under high pressure and extreme cold. In order to store the gases in liquid form, pressure vessels are required. These containers must maintain the low temperatures and the high pressures in storage conditions. To keep the air pure, the equipment for purification must operate under unusual conditions. Cleaning using cold traps is another device that is needed for cleaning. Valves are another device that must be specially designed to manage the extremes of a gas in a liquid state.

Specially designed cryogenic equipment is necessary when handling liquid gases. When accuracy and safety of the handler is needed, defining the specific requirements of the environment is a first step. The highest quality devices ensures protection against damages and harm to the researcher.




About the Author:



Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar